On the 31st of January 1809, Thomas DINZEY, a Saban-born merchant living in Gustavia (a brother of Richard DINZEY) addresses a petition to the Governor of Saint-Bartholomew.

He writes his letter as a joint guardian, along with Mathew WINFIELD (another Saban-born merchant) « over the orphan’s children of Captain Thomas SIMMONS and his wife Joanna Dinzey HORTON both deads ». He says that « the estate of both the Captain and his wife has been discussed and liquidated and the portion belonging to the said orphans ascertained ». The letter continues on, asking to be granted discharge over his guardianship being too busy with his business to carry on.

It is always amazing to see those Sabans living in Gustavia in big numbers, tending to others Saban born, like a family (most of the time). This is all happening in Saint-Barth, yet, those are almost all Saban’s names.

This gives us an opportunity to gather some facts on Captain Thomas SIMMONS and his family.

Thomas SIMMONS was born in Saba with no further information.

Joanna Dinzey HORTON was also born in Saba, the daughter of Marc HORTON, no information on her mother. Her paternal grandmother was Mary DINZEY.

Mary DINZEY, was first married to Abel BLYDEN with whom she had a daughter, Martha Simmons BLYDEN, born in Statia around 1771, who married with Richard Benjamin WRIGHT and then, in 1809 in Gustavia, with a Samuel BUZZETT born in Statia.

Mary DINZEY married a certain HORTON (no first name) with whom she had four children :

            Mary HORTON married a Thomas WINFIELD. They at least had one son, Pierre WINFIELD, born in Gustavia on the 17th of April 1799. Thomas died in Guadeloupe the same year.

            Johanna HORTON who married an Abraham BEAKS, was born in Saba around 1758. They had at least 3 children :

                        1-Martha BEAKS was born in Statia on the 12th of February 1800. She died in Gustavia on the 31st of January 1816. She was married to a SIMMONS, but no further details.

                        2-John Richard BEAKS, ship captain and owner in Gustavia. He married a Jammah PANTOPHLET and they had 3 children. John Richard died in Santiago de Cuba on the 21st of August 1810.

                                    Ann Dinzey BEAKS, born in Gustavia in February 1805,

                                    Emelia BEAKS, born in Gustavia in june 1808. She died here in October 1886

                                    Eliza BEAKS was born in Gustavia around 1810.

3-Marc Horton BEAKS, a mariner in Gustavia who had 2 children with a Francisca. They had two children, only one may have survived, John Richard Rudolphus BEAKS, born in 1818.

The last child of Mary DINZEY and ? HORTON was a Joseph HORTON. I have nothing on him, only he lived in Saba.

The two orphans mentioned in the document are

            Thomas SIMMONS was born around 1796. He became a Swedish subject on the 26th of July 1831. I have no other details for him

            Eliza SIMMONS was born on the 21st of August 1803. But nothing else on her.

Catégories :BEAKS, BLYDEN, DINZEY, HORTON, PANTOPHLET, SABA, SABANS, Simmons, Uncategorized, WINFIELD, WRIGHT